Volksblad
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| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Owner(s) | Media24 |
| Website | www |
The Volksblad (English: People's Journal) is an Afrikaans-language daily newspaper published in Bloemfontein, South Africa, and distributed in the Free State and Northern Cape provinces, where it is the largest Afrikaans daily. It is South Africa's oldest Afrikaans newspaper. The paper is owned by Media24.
VOLKSBLAD, the oldest Afrikaans daily newspaper in South Africa, made its first appearance on 18 November 1904 in Potchefstroom in the form of Het Westen, a Dutch weekly with four pages with Hendrik de Graaf as the founder owner.
The paper devoted itself to the interests and development of the Afrikaner people of the former independent Orange Free State and Transvaal Republics in the aftermath of the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902).
Het Westen changed its name to Het Volksblad on 26 March 1915, because it was no longer a regional newspaper for the then Western Transvaal, but rather a fully-fledged newspaper for the “nation” or volk.
The next year its head office moves to Bloemfontein after general De Wet and other Free State rebellion leaders asked De Graaf to move his newspaper to the Free State, the heart of Afrikaner Nationalism.
On 15 September 1917 the Nasionale Pers bought Het Volksblad for £16 000 and on 20 November of the same year its name was changed to Die Volksblad. On 2 October 1925 Die Volksblad became a daily newspaper. It was a morning newspaper until 29 July 1933 when it became an afternoon paper for nearly six decades.
By 1948 it was a strong, profitable newspaper with a wide distribution area and influence in the Free State, parts of the former Cape Province and Transvaal.
In mid 1973 Die Volksblad posted its best circulation figure to date with a weekday circulation of 41 050 and a Saturday figure of 35 485.
Other landmark dates are 24 February 1983 when Die Volksblad appeared for the first time in full colour, and on 4 March 1991 it became a morning newspaper.
Highlights for the newspaper in the early nineties was winning the prestigious national McCall Trophy for typographical excellence two years in a row, 1993 and 1994. (Volksblad also won this award in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013).
On 20 April 2001 the “Die” disappeared officially from the name and the newspaper became known as Volksblad.
In 2004 Volksblad celebrated its centenary, with among other things, the publication of the book ’n Lewe van sy eie – die biografie van Volksblad.
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